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E-mail anyone via their phone number

thinbox.com

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Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#21

Post by borplk »

atte wrote: post #6
timothya wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it different than me just texting them directly asking for their email? I suspect they'd be more likely to send their email to me than to some random company trying to act as a middleman.

The idea is that it can happen automatically and seamlessly. We are planning to release a mobile sync app that will automatically "fill in the blanks" in your contact list. Basically, for any contact that has a mobile number and no email address, we'll populate the field with [Number]@thinbox.com

"fill in the blanks" makes your own service partly redundant doesn't it? And how many of my contacts will be using it?

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#22

Post by atte »

atte wrote: post #6
timothya wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it different than me just texting them directly asking for their email? I suspect they'd be more likely to send their email to me than to some random company trying to act as a middleman.

The idea is that it can happen automatically and seamlessly. We are planning to release a mobile sync app that will automatically "fill in the blanks" in your contact list. Basically, for any contact that has a mobile number and no email address, we'll populate the field with [Number]@thinbox.com

borplk, the idea is that all of your contacts are contactable through the action of e-mailing them via their thinbox address. Even if they aren't registered, they will still be contacted (via SMS asking them to register) by the unified action of e-mailing them.

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#23

Post by Firehed »

emeraldd wrote: post #14

So, does this actually do anything? I've tried twice and not seen anything on the phone end . . . .

Blocked the email-to-SMS gateway at your carrier? I did that years ago since I don't pay for unlimited SMS (which I consider a massive scam) and don't want to get dinged because I get charged for inbound (also a massive scam, thanks US carriers).

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#24

Post by rcknight »

atte wrote: post #13

Ultimately, our plan for Thinbox is that the number mapping will be connected to more information than just an e-mail address. A path we're considering that might have some more obvious use cases: a mapping of phone numbers -> mailing addresses. That way in your mobile postcard app, you can choose a friend to mail a card to, even if you don't have their mailing address in your phone. The first-time recipient would au…

This raises some questions for me. I can't try it out, since I am not in the US, but what is the exact explanation you give in that initial text?

If i receive an SMS that says "Steve would like to send you something. What is your email address?" I might reply because I am happy for Steve to email me things.

However that does not necessarily mean that I want to allow anyone other than Steve to email me from that point forward... would be a nasty surprise if you dont explain this clearly.

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#25

Post by RyJones »

evoxed wrote: post #10
atte wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded. Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.

Make sure you make it easy to cancel, e.g. instructions in the first text for how to block your number from the registry. People who do not have a texting plan in favor of iMessage, Skype, etc. but do not block all incoming texts by default will thank you. I got a text like this recently from AIM mobile-something-or other from some weird spammy address. The second message contained instructions on how to block any fu…

The STOP command is mandated. I hope these guys get someone that actually knows how SMS works from the legal side.

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#26

Post by DanBC »

yownie wrote: post #17

If I have their phone number why can't I just call/txt them and ask for their email address?

Bob is sending bulk email to a list of contacts, some of them are email addresses and some of them are phone numbers. Calling texting each phone number to get an email address is an extra step that Bob doesn't want to take.

I'm guessing.

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#28

Post by JoeAltmaier »

atte wrote: post #4
BeanSeller wrote: post #3

How on earth do you get people's email addresses? My initial instinct is that your are just farming phone numbers...

If they aren't registered, we send them a text message asking for them to reply with their phone number. Any e-mails thereafter to [YOUR_NUMBER]@thinbox.com are automatically forwarded. Thanks for the feedback though. Admittedly, we could have put more time into the landing page.

'Registered'? With whom? I didn't register with anyone as far as I know, yet I received an email (on one of my 5 email addresses).

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#29

Post by davewasthere »

Firehed wrote: post #23
emeraldd wrote: post #14

So, does this actually do anything? I've tried twice and not seen anything on the phone end . . . .

Blocked the email-to-SMS gateway at your carrier? I did that years ago since I don't pay for unlimited SMS (which I consider a massive scam) and don't want to get dinged because I get charged for inbound (also a massive scam, thanks US carriers).

You get charged for inbound?

I've had mobiles in some 15+ countries and that's the first I've heard of being charged for inbound texts. Definitely a rip!

Re: E-mail anyone via their phone number

#30

Post by Firehed »

davewasthere wrote: post #29
Firehed wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blocked the email-to-SMS gateway at your carrier? I did that years ago since I don't pay for unlimited SMS (which I consider a massive scam) and don't want to get dinged because I get charged for inbound (also a massive scam, thanks US carriers).

You get charged for inbound? I've had mobiles in some 15+ countries and that's the first I've heard of being charged for inbound texts. Definitely a rip!

Yes - all major US carries do this as far as I know. AT&T and Verizon for sure (unless you pay $30/month for unlimited SMS)
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